Enewsletter

Enewsletter • December 27, 2002

Congratulations to all!

As of December 26, Vegan Outreach's total distribution of
Why Vegan and Vegetarian Living had topped 530,000 for
2002 – crushing our previous record of 330,000 last year! This has brought
our
total to over
two million copies distributed by our thoughtful and dedicated
members!

This year's increase hints at the growth possible. With the
best version of Why
Vegan yet and the new version of the Vegan
Starter Pack, we are in a position to make 2003 the best year ever
for the animals.

News

"• Castration prior to 120 days of age or when calves weigh less
than 500 pounds is strongly recommended. Heavier calves should be castrated
using
a bloodless castration technique such as an elastic banding device unless local
anesthesia is used.

"• It is also strongly recommended that calves be dehorned before
they are 120 days old. A local anesthetic must be used if the horn base is
one inch
or more in diameter.

"• Abuse of cattle isn't acceptable under any circumstances. Ninety
percent of cattle should flow through cattle handling systems without the use
of electric
prods. When cattle prods are used, avoid contact with the eyes, rectum, genitalia
and udder.

"I should never have read Michael Pollan's article on animal rights Nov.
10 in The New York Times Magazine. He asks us to acquaint ourselves with how
food
animals are raised on so-called factory ''farms'' - confined motionless in
tiny indoor pens, docked, clipped, force fed, and dosed with growth hormones
and antibiotics. At least take a look, he wrote, before making your trip to
the market.

"I took a look. It's not a pretty sight...

"I recall once hearing anthropologist Margaret Mead define civilization as
the ever-expanding circle of those whom we do not kill. At first, anyone outside
of the extended family was fair game. Then we allied ourselves in nation states.
Now, for many of us, the circle includes everyone of our own species. Animal-rights
advocates urge us to expand the circle to embrace other species.

"Does that mean letting domesticated animals become extinct? Shutting down
the fishing fleets? Denying the poor farmer in Mozambique the right to eat
his cow? At the very least, it seems to me, an affluent, civilized society
should outlaw the barbarisms of industrial agriculture."

"One problem with some animal-rights and 'liberation' advocates
is that their arguments fail to speak to the average person. They venture off
into various theories which sound far removed from actual, everyday life, and
so are easily dismissed as eccentric, irrelevant, or, worst of all, hostile
to the religious and moral convictions most people still hold."

"Many people know that McDonald's was successfully sued in a class action
by a group of vegetarians. The vegetarian plaintiffs alleged the burger chain
concealed the presence of beef product in what McDonald's had represented as
being meat-free French fries. As part of the settlement, McDonald's made a
public apology and agreed to pay $10 million to various groups representing
the class, including $6 million to 'vegetarian organizations.'

"What most vegetarians don't know is that the settlement
is more offensive than McDonald's original deception of its vegetarian customers
– because McDonald's is attempting to steer millions of dollars of the settlement
monies to animal researchers and anti-vegetarian organizations by simply calling
them 'vegetarian organizations.'"

Feedback

I just read the 'Vegetarians
rejoin carnivores' article in the latest Vegan
Spam. I live in Rochester, NY, and found it interesting that the article
cites a couple of different people from my town – both with diametric attitudes.
I have gradually been exposed to the facts about the meat and dairy industries
over the years and even experimented with vegetarianism for a while, but
gave up for basically the same reasons the rochester man quoted in the article
did. But someone gave me one of your pamphlets about 6 months ago, and it
finally gave me pause to think that I was purposefully blinding myself in
this one area of life for the sake of convenience and pleasure. It was sickening,
and I went vegan that very week. I still have a lot to learn of course, but
your practical materials have been a great help in planning a healthy diet,
and it has gotten me back into the kitchen. It was difficult at first, but
it's gradually gotten to the point where it feels very natural, and I don't
feel like I'm missing out anymore. Thanks for the work you do.SB, 12/19/02

Thank you for that eye-opening, life-changing experience [Why Vegan].
Now I’m vegan, and I want to spread the word! You are phenomenal – don’t
lose hope! Humanity will come around, and we’ll finally have peace. MR, Duluth, MN, 12/19/02

Vegan Outreach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the suffering of farmed animals by promoting informed, ethical eating.